Games & History All In One

History itself is rich with events that make for interesting reading. Many myriads of wars (from medieval battles to modern wars) and tragedies (the Titanic, American colonization, etc.) have actually been turned into games. However, there are a few interesting occurrences in history that have escaped the notice of game developers and script writers. To be more specific, we’re talking about unsolved mysteries.

Such mysteries are the stuff of conspiracy theories, and talked about in cheap tabloids, paranormal themed websites, and free chat rooms. Here are some of the unexplained mysteries we feel deserve a game of their own.

Jack the Ripper.

In Victorian England, a killer stalked the streets of London preying on hapless women. The murders were connected by two factors: the victims were “women of the streets”, otherwise known as prostitutes, and the killings were carried out in a surgical fashion. The nascent Scotland Yard suspected the killer was someone trained in the medical profession, perhaps a doctor or a student of medicine.

What we have here is ripe for a detective mystery. The player can either be a member of the police force, a private investigator, or perhaps a relative or lover of one of the victims. Similar to today’s NCIS and CSI themed games, the player can collect evidence, follow the trail of suspects, and hopefully prevent another murder from happening.

It would make for a great ending if the player was able to stop Jack the Ripper at the cost of his own life, which is why the case remains a mystery. Or even better, it turns out the player has a split personality and actually committed those murders himself.

The Bermunda Triangle

This mystery is just asking for a game. Hollywood has used it to portray ghostly events, alien abductions, and even hidden wormholes depositing travelers in another time and dimension. So why not game publishers?

The player can either be a passenger or a cruise ship or passenger jet. To make the game interesting, the cause of the ship’s crash or sinking shouldn’t be revealed until at least halfway through the game, at which point it becomes a fight for survival.

The first part sees the player deposited on an island, trying to piece together what happened while avoiding wild animals and/or hostile characters (such as fellow passengers and mysterious strangers). Only in the latter half will the player discover what actually happened and face those behind the crash or sinking.

Whatever happens, please: no rehashed ideas from Lost.

Bloop

In 1997, underwater seismographs and listening devices designed to track submarines detected an unexplainable noise. It was essentially a massive “Bloop!”, and by massive we mean it was picked up by scientists across 3,000 kilometers of the seafloor. They all agreed it was animal in origin.

Whether it’s Cthulhu or Atlantis, the player must dive in a submarine as part of an underwater survey to find out. We’ll leave the rest of the plotline to you.